HARKNESS SCREENS extends global reach with expanded production plants on three continents

Harkness Screens, the world’s leading manufacturer of cinema screens, announces a $5 million investment to expand operations in Canada, China and France. The investment will almost double Harkness group capacity for making Spectral 3D and Perlux high gain screens. Canada is fully operational and the expansions in France and China are expected to be operational by mid 2011.

The plant increases will allow Harkness Screens to serve better local demand worldwide by providing shorter lead times for customers in all geographies as well as lower the cost of shipping screens from factory to final location.

“With the explosion of the 3D films arriving in cinemas worldwide, orders for our custom frames and screens have risen significantly,” says Andrew Robinson, Harkness Screens, managing director. “In order to meet that demand and speed customer deliveries, we made the strategic decision to open new facilities in Canada and China, and expand operations in France.”

The Canadian facility was an existing screen-making facility that Harkness acquired and upgraded. It opened in 2010 and supplements the existing US plant in Virginia. Together they will serve North, South and Central America.

The facility in China will improve lead times in the region and will primarily serve the Chinese market, where Harkness is already the market leader with screens imported from the US plant. When fully operational it will service Japan, Korea and other parts of East Asia as well.

In France, a new plant in larger premises is being established to provide Harkness with a significant increase in screen-making capacity in Europe. The plant will serve Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The existing plant will continue operations through 2011 and beyond if required.

“The investment we are making to increase our plant capacities is a reinforcement of Harkness Screens’ commitment to our customers and the cinema industry not only in the United States and Europe, but throughout the entire world,” adds Robinson.